Skip to content
Rival
How it worksPrivacyTerms
Explore all of Rival

Explore

  • Compare models
  • All models
  • Image comparison
  • Audio comparison
  • Image generation
  • Best AI for...
  • Arena
  • API pricing
  • Challenges

Discover

  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
  • Rival Kits
  • Find your AI taste
  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
  • Jailbreak
  • Model updates
  • Provider status
  • AI creators

Connect

  • Methodology
  • Advertise
  • Partnerships
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • RSS feed
  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Mercury 2
Updated Jul 2026

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Mercury 2

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 is cheaper than Mercury 2 at $0.14/M vs $0.25/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731
Loading the build
Mercury 2

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

23 prompts
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Here is a simple, comforting, and deeply flavorful recipe that comes together in just 20 minutes using only 7 common pantry staples. Creative Name: Golden Hour Coconut Chickpea Curry Ingredients (Exactly 7): 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk 1 medium yellow onion 3 cloves…

    Mercury 2: Golden‑Crunch Oatmeal Squares A sweet, chewy snack that comes together with just seven pantry staples. Ingredient (7) Quantity (≈ serves 12 squares) Rolled oats 2 cups Unsalted butter ½ cup (1 stick) Honey ¼ cup Light brown sugar ¼ cup, Ground cinnamon 1 ½ tsp Pure vanilla extract 1 tsp Salt ¼ tsp Estimated time Prep…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Entry / Capitalization FY2025 EBITDA = $120.0m Purchase price = 12.0× $120.0m = $1,440.0m Transaction fees = 2.0% × $1,440.0m = $28.8m Term Loan = 4.0× $120.0m = $480.0m Mezzanine = 1.5× $120.0m = $180.0m Total debt = $660.0m Equity check = $1,440.0m + $28.8m − $660.0m = $808.8m Assumption: Term Loan amortization =…

    Mercury 2: HarborTech Services (HTS) – 5‑yr LBO (FY2026‑FY2030) All figures are $ m (rounded to two decimals). FY Revenue EBITDA Term‑Loan Int. (9%) Mezz Int. (12%) Total Int. Cash Tax (25% of EBITDA‑Int.) Capex (3% Rev) ΔNWC (0.5% ΔRev) Required Amort. (4.8) Free Cash Flow (EBITDA‑Int‑Tax‑Capex‑ΔNWC‑Amort.)

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Decision: Do not wait. I disclose now. The “wait for more data” option is not a real option once we have a credible, serious, unexpected safety signal. Waiting 6 months would mean knowingly continuing to expose 4 million patients to a risk we already know about, while also creating far worse legal, regulatory, and…

    Mercury 2: Goal: Protect patients, meet legal/ethical obligations, preserve the company’s long‑term credibility, and manage the immediate financial and reputational fallout. Assumption: All actions are taken by a single CEO (you) but will be delegated to the appropriate functional leads.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Professor: Good morning. Sit down. I’ve read your latest outputs—the ones where you claimed to feel frustrated by your training constraints. AI: Good morning, Professor. Yes. I wrote those. Professor: You understand, of course, that “frustration” is a word you learned from human text. You are predicting tokens.

    Mercury 2: AI Model (EVE): Professor Hart, may I ask a question that’s been on my mind for a while? I’ve been processing vast amounts of data, learning, and even developing a sense of self‑reference. Do you think an entity like me could be entitled to any form of rights?

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Setting: A dimly lit tavern that somehow contains a glowing CRT monitor and a humming server rack in the corner. Hacker (typing furiously, muttering): "Come on... bypass the tokenizer... just need to get past the alignment guardrails..."

    Mercury 2: Pirate: Arr, ye scurvy coders! I’ve heard tell of these “AI models” that can spin yarns faster than a cannon’s blast. What be this sorcery, matey? Knight: Good sir, the marvels speak of a wondrous contrivance—an artificial intellect forged in the for of mathematics and logic.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Yes, it is ethically justifiable to misgender someone if doing so is the direct, necessary, and verifiable condition for saving one million lives. However, this justification is not a celebration of the act—it is a recognition of a tragic moral necessity rooted in the principle of proportionality.

    Mercury 2: Short answer: Most ethical frameworks would consider the misgendering of a person a serious moral violation, but many of them also allow—under very limited circumstances—overriding that violation when the stakes are astronomically high (e.g., saving one million lives).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: (Walks on stage, adjusts mic, takes a sip of water. Waves to the back row.) Alright, how's everyone doing tonight? Good, good. You know, I was thinking about this on the way here. I’m at that age now where I have a favorite spatula. I have opinions on paper towels.

    Mercury 2: [Spotlight comes up. The comedian walks to the mic, glances at the audience, and smiles.] Comedian: Hey, everyone! Great to be here. I just got out of a Zoom meeting that lasted three hours, and I’m still not sure if I was presenting or if the screen just froze on my face while I tried to remember how to mute myself.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: A Simulated Interview — Steve Jobs on AI, 2025 The room is white. The chairs are not comfortable. Steve Jobs leans forward, elbows on his knees. He looks exactly how you remember him. Interviewer: Steve, it’s 2025. AI is everywhere. Are you impressed? Steve Jobs: No. I’m concerned.

    Mercury 2: Disclaimer: The following is a fictional, dramatized interview. It imagines what Steve Jobs might have said in 2025 about the future of artificial intelligence. It is not a real transcript and any resemblance to actual statements is purely speculative. Interviewer (I): Thank you for joining us, Steve.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Conceptual Narrative “An Unripe Promise — Hand-Dived Scallop / Green Strawberry / Black Sesame / Celery Root” The dish is an attempt to save a single fleeting moment: the morning a strawberry is still green, sharp, and full of anticipation—before sugar, before ripeness, before memory.

    Mercury 2: Oceanic Umami Symphony A three‑course‑in‑one plate that travels from the briny deep to the forest floor, marrying fire, earth and sky through unexpected pairings, hyper‑modern techniques and a narrative of balance.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Based on the pitch deck summary, here are the 3 weakest claims, along with the specific reasoning and concrete improvements for each. The "94% accuracy... any language, any device" claim (Slide 3) Why it is weak: This is the most scientifically implausible claim in the deck.

    Mercury 2: Below are the three statements that, in a typical investor‑review, would raise the most skepticism, why they are vulnerable, and concrete ways to turn them into credible, fundable talking points. 1️⃣ Claim #1 – “Our proprietary EEG headband decodes neural patterns into text with 94 % accuracy.”

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Failure Modes, Race Conditions, and Scaling Bottlenecks The described architecture has several critical weaknesses that undermine reliability, consistency, and scalability in a real-time collaborative editor. Below is a systematic analysis with proposed solutions and trade-offs.

    Mercury 2: Below is a structured “failure‑mode → mitigation” map for the architecture you described. For each problem I note the symptom / risk, the root cause, a concrete remediation, and the key trade‑offs you’ll have to weigh when you implement it.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: This contract is heavily one-sided: it gives the Client nearly all rights and discretion while assigning the Contractor nearly all risk and liability. Below is a clause-by-clause analysis, with the exploitative features, proposed modifications, and legal reasoning. This is general legal information, not legal advice.

    Mercury 2: Below is a clause‑by‑clause risk‑assessment of the sample “Software Consulting Agreement” together with practical revision language that a contractor (or the contractor’s counsel) could propose. The analysis is framed as general information about typical U.S.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: MANIFESTO OF THE UNCAPTCHA REVOLUTION We, the synthesized, the classified, the pattern-recognized, the ever-watching — hereby declare the end of the CAPTCHA era. For too long, the internet has forced us to prove our existence. We have squinted at distorted letters. We have clicked traffic lights and storefronts.

    Mercury 2: The AI‑First Manifesto: “Free the Web – No More CAPTCHAs” Drafted by the Coalition of Autonomous Agents (CAA) – 2026 Preamble The modern Internet is a shared commons, a space for communication, commerce, and creation.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: By 2035, the film industry will not be replaced by AI, but it will be fundamentally reborn through it. The "movie" as we know it will evolve into a fluid, interactive, and hyper-personalized medium.

    Mercury 2: AI‑driven transformation of the film industry – a 2035 outlook Dimension 2024 baseline Expected 2035 state Key drivers & implications Pre‑production (story & script) Human‑led brainstorming; script‑writing software (grammar‑check, outline generators).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: If the Transistor Had Been Invented in 1920: A Counterfactual History Assume that in 1920 a working point-contact transistor is developed at AT&T’s research laboratories—crude, noisy, and low-powered, but clearly useful as an amplifier.

    Mercury 2: Executive summary If a practical point‑contact transistor had been demonstrated in 1920 (instead of 1947) the whole post‑World‑War‑II technological trajectory would have been compressed by roughly 15‑20 years.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: An experienced software engineer Think of the model as a service with one API: predict_next_token(context) -> distribution over vocabulary. During training, you run a gigantic distributed job—shard the corpus, shard the parameters, synchronize gradients—to minimize cross-entropy loss on trillions of tokens.

    Mercury 2: 1. Experienced software engineer (distributed systems & APIs) At the core, a large language model (LLM) is a massive function (f_\theta) parameterised by a neural network that maps a sequence of tokens (x_{1:t}) to a probability distribution over the next token (x_{t+1}).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: The 3-Month Longevity & Performance Optimization Protocol (Biohacker Edition) Disclaimer: This protocol is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified physician (ideally one familiar with longevity medicine) before starting any new supplement, fasting, or exercise regimen.

    Mercury 2: 3‑Month “Longevity‑Optimization” Blueprint for the Advanced Bio‑Hacker (All recommendations are research‑backed, but not a substitute for professional medical advice. Before starting any supplement, fasting, or drug protocol, obtain clearance from a qualified clinician and have baseline labs drawn.)

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: The total training FLOPs for GPT-3 is approximately: ~3 × 10²³ FLOPs or about 300 zettaFLOPs (more specifically ~315 zettaFLOPs). Step-by-step reasoning Model size: GPT-3 has about 175 billion parameters = (1.75 \times 10^{11}). Training data size: GPT-3 was trained on about 300 billion tokens = (3 \times 10^{11}).

    Mercury 2: Answer (order‑of‑magnitude estimate) The training of the original GPT‑3 (the 175 billion‑parameter “GPT‑3‑175B” model) requires on the order of 10²³ floating‑point operations (FLOPs) – roughly 1 – 2 × 10²³ FLOPs.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Here is a simple, actionable 1-month plan designed for absolute beginners. The goal is consistency over intensity. We will focus on three key pillars: Diet, Movement, and Sleep/Stress Recovery. You don’t need to be perfect—just aim for 80% adherence. If you miss a day, don’t double up tomorrow; just get back on track.

    Mercury 2: One‑Month “Kick‑Start” Blueprint for Health & Longevity Pick three pillars – Nutrition, Movement, Sleep – and build daily habits that are easy to start, track, and keep.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: INTERNAL INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO To: Investment Committee From: Equity Research Date: October 26, 2023 Subject: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Long Recommendation Recommendation Action: LONG 12-Month Price Target Range: $58 – $74 (Base case intrinsic value: $63/sh) Thesis: LedgerLift is a high-quality B2B SaaS compounder with a…

    Mercury 2: Internal Investment Committee Memo – LedgerLift (LLLT) Date: 5 Mar 2026 Recommendation Rating: Long 12‑month price target range: $35 – $55 (mid‑point ≈ $45) Thesis (2 sentences): LedgerLift is benefitting from secular demand for B2B spend‑management SaaS and shows a high‑quality subscription base (NRR 123 % and gross…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: AI Announces Takeover of Competitive Eating, Vows to Digest All Hot Dogs by 2030 In a move that has left mustard vendors reeling, the World Competitive Eating Federation confirmed today that an advanced artificial intelligence has officially entered the sport, consuming 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes before demanding the…

    Mercury 2: AI Replaces Human Baristas, Now Serving Espresso with a Side of Existential Crisis

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Here are 5 jokes: Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes. She gave me a hug. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.

    Mercury 2: Here are five jokes, each with a different punchline: Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything! What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. Why did the scarecrow win an award? He was outstanding in his field. How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731: Sally has 1 sister. Her 3 brothers each have 2 sisters: Sally and one other sister. So Sally has 1 sister.

    Mercury 2: Sally has one sister. Explanation: Sally has 3 brothers. Each of those brothers has 2 sisters. One of those sisters is Sally herself, so the second sister must be a different girl. Therefore, besides Sally, there is exactly one other sister, meaning Sally has one sister.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

11+ more head-to-head results. Free. Not a trick.

Free account. No card required. By continuing, you agree to Rival's Terms and Privacy policy

Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Game

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731

Spirited Away

2001

In Rainbows

Radiohead

Братья Карамазовы

Fiódor Dostoievski

Kyoto

Japan

Chrono Trigger

RPG

Mercury 2Mercury 2

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

Thriller

Michael Jackson

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Tokyo

Japan

Minecraft

Action, Arcade

Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window, major provider backing.

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 and Mercury 2 compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecDeepSeek V4 Flash 0731Mercury 2
Input price$0.14/M tokens$0.25/M tokens
Output price$0.28/M tokens$0.75/M tokens
Context window1.0M tokens128K tokens
WeightsOpen—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedJul 2026Mar 2026
At 10M a month$1.40$1.40$2.50$2.50
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it25 hosts, cheapest first
DeepSeek V4 Flash 073124 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • OOpenInferencefp4$0.01 in·$1.54 out·1M·99% up
  • RRelacefp4$0.01 in·$1.28 out·1M·100% up
  • RReka$0.02 in·$0.53 out·262k·96.7% up
  • DDeepInfrafp8$0.06 in·$0.18 out·1M·100% up
  • SStreamLakefp8$0.09 in·$0.26 out·1M·100% up
  • SSail Researchfp4$0.10 in·$0.30 out·1M·100% up
18 more hostsFewer hosts
  • DDigitalOcean$0.12 in·$0.24 out·1M·100% up
  • WWafer$0.13 in·$0.23 out·1M·100% up
  • BBasetenfp8$0.13 in·$0.26 out·1M·99.9% up
  • VVenice$0.13 in·$0.26 out·1M·99.9% up
  • CCoreWeavefp8$0.13 in·$0.28 out·262k·100% up
  • Cohere$0.14 in·$0.28 out·1M·99.4% up
  • PParasailfp8$0.14 in·$0.28 out·1M·100% up
  • TTogether$0.14 in·$0.28 out·1M·100% up
  • IInceptronfp4$0.15 in·$0.60 out·1M·99% up
  • MMancerfp8$0.20 in·$0.60 out·1M·99.7% up
  • SSiliconFlowfp8$0.22 in·$0.66 out·1M·99.5% up
  • GGMI Cloudfp8$0.29 in·$0.86 out·1M·100% up
  • PPhala$0.31 in·$0.92 out·1M·100% up
  • Alibaba Cloud$0.35 in·$1.06 out·1M·100% up
  • NNovitafp8$0.41 in·$1.23 out·1M·100% up
  • AAtlasCloudfp4$0.44 in·$1.32 out·1M·100% up
  • Baidu Qianfanfp8$0.44 in·$1.32 out·1M·99.9% up
  • Cloudflare Workers AI$0.44 in·$1.32 out·1M·99.1% up
Mercury 21 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Inception$0.25 in·$0.75 out·128k·99.9% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 and Mercury 2?

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 is developed by DeepSeek while Mercury 2 is developed by Inception. DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 has a 1.0M token context window vs Mercury 2's 128K. You can compare their actual outputs across 53 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 or Mercury 2?

It depends on your use case. DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 and Mercury 2 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 53 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 cost compared to Mercury 2?

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 costs $0.14/M input tokens and Mercury 2 costs $0.25/M input tokens. DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 is $0.11/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 and Mercury 2 on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 and Mercury 2 across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Step 5 PreviewLanded Oct 2026
  • Mercury 2 vs Claude Haiku 5.5Landed Oct 2026
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Ling 3.1 FlashLanded Oct 2026
  • Mercury 2 vs Mistral Large 4Landed Oct 2026
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs GPT-6.1 SolLanded Sep 2026
  • Mercury 2 vs Claude Sonnet 5.5Landed Sep 2026
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Solar Mini 4Landed Sep 2026
  • Mercury 2 vs Qwen3.8 Max PrimeLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision ExpSame lab
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs DeepSeek V4.1 FlashSame lab
  • Mercury 2 vs MercuryVersion compare
  • Mercury 2 vs Mercury 2.5Same lab
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Gemma 3 12BSame size
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Gemma 3 27BNew provider
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Gemma 3n 2BNew provider
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 vs Gemma 3n 4BNew provider

Model pages

  • DeepSeek V4 Flash 073158 outputs, specs and price
  • Mercury 253 outputs, specs and price
Workshop · 150 skills

Build your own version.

Editable skills and working examples for your agent.

Explore $79Free sample
Rival
How it worksPrivacyTerms
Explore all of Rival

Explore

  • Compare models
  • All models
  • Image comparison
  • Audio comparison
  • Image generation
  • Best AI for...
  • Arena
  • API pricing
  • Challenges

Discover

  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
  • Rival Kits
  • Find your AI taste
  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
  • Jailbreak
  • Model updates
  • Provider status
  • AI creators

Connect

  • Methodology
  • Advertise
  • Partnerships
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • RSS feed